​Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat: “On the 50th anniversary of its reunification, Jerusalem is a flourishing, thriving city – in the fields of education, hi-tech and culture, in business and all areas of life.

On this day, as we celebrate Jerusalem, let us all ‘exalt Jerusalem above our utmost joy,’ and build her for future generations. I wish all of us a successful year in Jerusalem.”

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Israel’s capital city, Jerusalem shows exciting trends in education, hi-tech, housing and construction, tourism, culture, and the arts.

• The Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research reports: in the last two years there has been a 28% increase in hi-tech employees in Jerusalem.

• 78% of the tourists who arrived in Israel in 2016 visited Jerusalem, and 51% of the tourists who arrived in Israel stayed overnight in the city.

• In 2016, construction permits were granted for 2534 new housing units in the city, compared to 2262 in 2015.

• In the last two years, 140 new playgrounds have been upgraded in the city, and in 2017, 50 additional playgrounds will be upgraded.

• In 2016, 3118 new immigrants made aliyah [immigrated] to Jerusalem. Since 2011, 18,577 new immigrants have made aliyah to Jerusalem.

• According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 92% of Jerusalem residents are satisfied with their lives (93% of the Jewish population, and 89% of the Arab population), which is slightly higher than the rate in the general population (88%).